Homemade skin care products can be cheaper and safer than their over-the-counter counterparts. After all, they don't contain any of those harsh ingredients that may irritate more sensitive skin. Nature provides all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients your skin needs to look more youthful and healthy than ever before. That's why many people opt to make their own.



Some basic rules to consider when making your own skin-care products:

-Keep it simple. Don't use any ingredients that contain harsh or irritating chemicals

-Keep it clean. Sterilize and dry all containers.

-If in doubt, throw it out. Many homemade skin-care concoctions have a very short shelf life. If you smell anything rotten or nasty, get rid of it!

-Do a patch-test. Avoid nasty or uncomfortable side effects by always testing any homemade products first on a small area of the skin.

Treating Acne:

Yogurt may be the acne-sufferers best friend. It's a natural moisturizer, adding important enzymes like lactic acid and oils to the skin. Using yogurt to moisturize your skin can also help reduce pore size (and acne), improve your skin's overall texture, and give your skin-tone a healthy glow. Apply plain yogurt to clean, dry skin. It's rich in zinc, which helps prevent acne breakouts. Once pimples appear, a mixture of brewer's yeast and plain yogurt applied to the skin can help rid you of the nasty outbreak.

When washing your face, warm clear water is enough. Soaps and cleansers can dry out the skin, causing an even bigger breakout. Never scrub your face dry. Always dab. This preserves the skin's natural oils..

Help For Oily Skin:

Use peppermint to dissolve excess oils on the skin and clean the pores. Mix 1 tbsp. milk, 1 drop of peppermint oil, 3 tbs. water, and 2 tbs. kaolin, into a smooth paste. Apply mask to face until hardened. Peel, and wash excess mask off with clear water.

A mixture of oatmeal, honey and lemon juice is another way to treat oily skin. Mix into a paste and leave on face for 10-15 minutes for a refreshing, clean look and feel to your skin.

Help For Dry Skin:

A mixture of bananas and honey 1 small banana to 1 tsp. honey), is an excellent way to treat dry skin. Rich in hydrating minerals, vitamins and other nutrients, this combo is both a refreshing and tasty facial. Apply to skin for 15 minutes, washing off with clear water.

Whether you suffer from normal, oily or even dry skin, keeping your face clean of oily residues can help keep acne under control without spending a fortune on over-the-counter remedies. Avoid all skin-care-products, (including moisturizers, creams, masks, and make-up) containing oil-based ingredients such as lanolin, isopropyl myristate, sodium lauryl sulfate and red dyes. They are too rich for the skin, and often cause more harm than good.

Taking good care of your skin doesn't have to be hard or expensive. In fact, it can be as easy as cleaning it with a clear water every night and slathering it with a few homemade concoctions from ingredients found in your refrigerator.